The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) is advancing consumer protection measures with a proposal requiring telecom operators to provide at least 14 days’ notice before deactivating inactive SIM cards.
The initiative is part of a broader regulatory overhaul tied to the forthcoming Telecoms Identity Risk Management System (TIRMS), a cross-sector platform designed to combat fraud involving recycled, swapped, or barred mobile numbers.
In a February 2026 consultation paper titled “Stakeholders Consultation Process for the Telecoms Identity Risks Management Platform,” the Commission outlined proposed amendments to its Quality-of-Service (QoS) Business Rules that would formalise advance notification requirements for both prepaid and post-paid subscribers.
Under the proposed framework, operators must notify post-paid subscribers of impending line deactivation through an alternative phone number or email at least 14 days before taking final action. A similar obligation would apply to prepaid customers.
The proposed rule introduces greater transparency to a process currently governed by inactivity thresholds. Under existing Section 2.3.1 of the QoS Business Rules, subscriber lines may be deactivated after six months without revenue-generating activity, with permanent number withdrawal possible after another six months of inactivity, barring network-related faults.
Beyond customer notification, the Commission seeks tighter oversight of the churn process. Operators would be required to submit details of all churned numbers to the Telecoms Identity Risks Management System within seven days of completion.
According to the regulator, TIRMS will function as a secure, regulatory-backed platform preventing fraud linked to compromised Mobile Station International Subscriber Directory Numbers (MSISDNs), enhancing trust in Nigeria’s digital ecosystem through unified management of registered mobile numbers across sectors.
The consultation aligns with Section 58 of the Nigerian Communications Act 2003, mandating stakeholder engagement before major regulatory changes. Industry players and stakeholders have 21 days from publication to submit comments, with the deadline set for March 20, 2026.
The document, dated February 26, 2026, was signed by Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Dr. Aminu Maida, underscoring the regulator’s focus on balancing consumer protection with systemic risk management in Nigeria’s evolving telecommunications landscape.
Dele Fashomi, seasoned journalist and communication teacher, is a holder of Master of Arts degree in Communication and Language Arts from the University of Ibadan in 1992/93.
Earlier, he had bagged a Bachelor degree from the same university in 1984, after which he proceeded to the Nigerian Institute of Journalism, Lagos, in 1990, for a postgraduate diploma in Journalism.
He had done many courses in communication, including the EU-BBC Editing Course in 2002.
Mr. Fashomi combines effectively the practice, research and teaching of communication. And to date, he has published two academic works in communication: Issues in Communication Technology and Policy (2010) and Economic and Social Issues in Advertising and PR (2013).
He had his first break in the Nigerian media in Concord Newspapers in 1990 and today, he has over two and half decades experience earned in several newspapers.
He has been part of many start-ups, such as The Republic (1987), The Comet (1999), The Anchor 2001 – 2002; Sun Newspapers (2003); Westerner newsmagazine (2005 – 2010) as Editor; National Life (2011) as Sunday Editor, and Newswatch Newspapers (2012- 2016) as Daily Editor.
Dele Fashomi is now the Publisher/Editor-in-Chief of Newstide247.com newspaper online, which he started in July 2015. He is also into biography writing, with many books in his trail, some of which he wrote alone and one he co- authored with his mentor, Mr Dare Babarinsa, entitled: Olabiyi Durojaiye – DARE TO BE DiFFERENT. He also guided and collaborated with Pa Olatunji Odusanya in writing his autobiography – AGAINST ALL ODDS. There are many other books in the works under his pen.
